Coal-washing apparatus.



H. CORY.

. GOAL WASHINGAPPARATUS. APPLICATION IILBD AUG. 20, 1909.

Patented! July 5,1910

ICE.

I-IAIEUHEIY CORY, 0F PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 PITTSBURGH COAL WASHER COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- sYLvAnI'A.

COAL-WASHING A3,?ARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 20, 1909.

Patented July 5, 191th. Serial No. 513,724.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY CORY, a citizen of the United. States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in GoaLWashing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention refers to improvements in washing apparatus for coal .or other minerals and for the separation of impurities by gravity and the buoyant effect of water, and relates particularly to an improved construction of valve mechanism adapted to discharge portions of the slate and other impurities as they accumulate above the screen, automatically depended upon said accumulation.

In carrying out my invention, I use a lever-supported valve mechanism provided with an adjustable counterweight and in the preferred form, a controlling tloat adapted to rise and tall with the level of. the lll1 purities and to actuate the pivoted lever to open and close the valve.

in the drawings illustrating the invention:-l*igure his a longitudinal vertical sectional view through a washing apparatus, showing the valve in closed position. Fig. 2 is a similar sectional view enlarged, of the valve mechanism, showing the valve lowered. for discharging the impurities. Fig. 3 is a similar detail view showing the lever provided with an adjustable coimterweight only.

The washing apparatus shown in the drawings is similar in construction and mode of operation to that illustrated in prior patent of \Villiam Knoyer No. 906239, dated December 8, 1908, and comprises a tank 2, preferably rectangular in form, having inwardly and downwardly sloping ends 3, and a middle transverse partition framework -t in which ismountei a reciprocating plunger 5. llxtcnding upwardly beyond the partition at, which constitutes a. plunger housing, is a transverse partition (3, arranged to divide the upper portion of the tank in two equal burden-containing (ZOIIIPill'tlllOlli-S 7, 7. of substantially the same size and capacity. Y

The upper portion ol the tank cavity is divided from the main lower portion by transversely arranged screens 8, 8, of perforated plate metal, wire netting, or other suitable construct-ion, adapted to support the mineral to be washed and to provide for free upward travel-of the water.

In use, the second stream 8', which, like screen 8, is preferably arranged at a slight angle as shown, is covered with a layer of feldspar or other suitable material a: of suliicient specific gravity to rest upon the perforated screen bottom, preventing the downward passage of the finer particles of the coal or other light minerals while permitting of free upward circulation of the water under the impulses imparted to it by plunger 5, and of downward passage of the heavier but smaller impurities carried over from the first screen.

9, 9, represent any suitable slate gates or outlets for the accumulated impurities which pass downwardly through both screens and accumulate in the terminal boxes 10, 10, at the bottom of the tank, and which may be emptied from time to time.

Water is supplied to the interior of the v other mineral to be washed is discharged into the from a hopper or other source of sup ply 12, preferably located at one end. The circulation of the washed coal is indicated by the arrows, the opposite end of the jig tank being somewhat lower than the inlet end, thereby causing the coal to travel. outwardly along the entire length of the jig during the washing operation, thus effecting thorough separation of the impurities, before the washed coal is finally discharged.

The plunger 5, which may be of any desired form in cross section, is so mounted in transverse partition 4 as to make z substantially tluid-tiglit joint therein. Motion is imparted to plunger 5 by one or more rods prl-zferably two, passing outwaruly through stutiing boxes 17 in the ends of the tank, and actuated through any suitable ac tuating mechanisnn as eccentrics or cams it) on shaft 20. The mechanism as thus constructed is adapted to operate soon-what,- rapidly, say one hundred and cightylire strokes per minute, the strokes being coin paratively short say one-hall to one and one-quarter inches in length, depending on local conditions or other l'actors and by these means it. will be sccn that a constant tank by pipes 11,. 11, leading from any' suitable source of supply, "while the coal or- 8 series of impulses will be imparted to the water Within each end compartment of the tank, resulting in a practically constant up- 1 Wardly pulsating flow throu h the screens 8 and 8' and their sustained urden, to effect the desired separation. 7 I I have found in practice that by impartin to the coal a continuous series of rapid pu sations efi'ecting a constant intermittent flow of water under pressure, the finer particles of coal and impurities may be very thoroughly separated, due to tlldgiltlQCOIltinuous agitation of the intermittentupwardly traveling current. This result is due to the comparatively short strokes and high velocity of the plunger, operating alternately on the oppositely located bodies of water beneath the screen, whereby two continuous currents are forced upwardly to effect the washing operation.

Any other suitable construction or arrangement of screens and means for producing a flow upwardly ther'ethrough of the water may be utilized, and the invention, which resides particularly in the means for discharging the impurities downwardly into the interior of the jig tank 2 below' the screens, is in no .way limited to the'specific construction of the washing apparatus itself.

As the impurities are separated from the coal by the buoyant eflect of the watenpassing upwardly through the first screen, all of the impurities, slate, etc., gradually settle upon the bottom of the screen and must be discharged therefrom. For such purpose I provide an opening and closing valve 21.

seated underneath the downwardly extending copin or any suitable. valve seat 22 the opening t ough which passes through the screen 8, valve 21 being suspended ,by a flexible connecting element 23 from theend 24' and lever 25 pivoted at 26.

27 isan enlarged shell spaced upwardly above screen 8, as at 28,. upon supporting legs 29, so as to prevent passage to the valve outlet of the upper strata of coal, but to permit a lower strata of impurities to flow downwardly-to said valve outlet.

shell 27, lever 25 extending outwardly and being provided with an ad ustable counterweight 31 and a flotation'device 32." Said flotation device is preferably connected with the lever at the desired position by flexible connection 33 and an adjustable terminal 34 v w'bywliich'it' may-be set to suit the conditions of use. l lotationdevice 32is preferably of a specific gravity adapted to bear such a relation with the specific gravity of the impurities that it will at all times conform to the level thereof, rising and falling with theirvarying levels, as indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 1.

tion being assisted by the upward open the valve.

nected with said valve an Pivotal mounting 26 of lever 25 is in a In 0 eriition, the raw eoalis discharged upon t e screen as indicated by the arrow a and is se arated from its-impurities by operation o the plunger, the washed coal passto fall .when 'sufliciently loaded, it willfullat the proper time, dischar ing the impurities downwardly into .thejig tank the aely rising effect of the flotation device 32. Upon a certain portion of the impuritiesbeing discharged, the level thereof as in the; tank, will fall, the -flotation device likewise falling, valve 21 rising to again close the outlet opening until the impur ties have again a c' cumalated sufliciently above it, or until the flotation device is sufficiently raised to again The operation will continue automatically during the operation of the machine.

If desired, flotation device 32 may omitted and valve 21 will fall due to the mere'lo'wering effect of gravity of the impurities when accumulated above it, closing again by reason of the actionof counter weight 31, as indicated in Fig. 3. The operation with the flotation device will how- 'ever, render the mechanism more sensitive and reliable, although fairly good results 'msg be had without it.

avin

gdescribed' my invention, what I claim is':

1; .The combination withfa washing apparatus provided with a supporting screen having an outlet opening vertical y-therethrough and a surrounding depending valve seat, a bodily movable valve opening and closmg a'ainst said seat and su ject to the a weight 0 mineral above the screen and within the valve seatfand a ivoted lever con provided with a flotation device adapted tOIlSG and fall with the rise and fall of the mineral on the screen and to correspondingly actuate the lever and valve, substantially as set forth.'

2. The combination with a washing appa ratus providedwith a supporting screen having an outlet opening therethrough and a surrounding valve seat, a valve opening and closing-a amst said seat and subject to the weight 0 niineral above the screen, a pivoted lever {connected with said valve, and, an upwardlyextending protecting shield spaced above the screen and concentrically surrounding the outlet opening and the connection between the valve and lever, substantially asset forth. i

3. The combination with a washing appaiatus provided with a supporting screen hav ing an outlet opening therethrough and a surrounding valve seat, a valve opening and closing against said seat and subject to the weight of mineral above the screen, a pivoted lever, a flexible connecting element between the valve and lever, and an upwardly extending protecting shield spaced above the screen and concentrically surrounding the outlet opening and said flexible connecting element substantially asset forth.

4. The combination with a Washing apparatus provided with a supporting screen having an outlet opening therethrough and a surrounding valve seat, a valve opening and closing against said seat and subject to the Weight of mineral. above the screen, a pivoted lever, a counterweight therefor, a flexible connecting element between the valve and lever, and an upwardly extending protecting shield spaced above the screen and concentrically surrounding the outlet opening and said flexible connecting element, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with awashing apparatus'provided with a supporting screen having an outlet opening therethrough and a surrounding valve seat, a valve opening and closing against said seat and subject to the weight of mineral above the screen, a pivoted lever, a flotation device connected with the lever, a flexible connecting element between the valve and lever, and an upwardly extending protecting shield spaced above the screen and concentrically surrounding the outlet opening and said flexible connecting element, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' HARVEY CORY.

Witnesses:

C; M. CLARKE, CHAS. S. LEPLEY. 

